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Tent homes were once used in Summerland

Temporary dwellings provided shelter until permanent homes were constructed
John Arendt
John Arendt
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IN A TENT HOUSE Often, our earliest settlers first used tent houses prior to their permanent homes being built. This photograph shows Walter Verity and his wife Elizabeth (nee Tait) with their tent home beside their gardens. Elizabeth’s brothers Magnus and John and sister Christine (Nixon) also lived here. (Summerland Museum photo)

House construction in Summerland has come a long way since the early 1900s.

This picture, from around 1909, shows Walter Verity and his wife Elizabeth (nee Tait) with their tent home beside their garden.

Tent houses were used by early settlers in Summerland while they were in the process of constructing more permanent and warmer homes.

While the tent homes could be cosy, it was possible to wake up and find blankets frozen to the wall or ice in the wash bowl.

While tent houses are no longer used in Summerland, a home featuring straw bale construction was built in the spring of 2014.

However, straw homes are far from commonplace in Summerland or in the rest of Canada.

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TEMPORARY HOME Robin Agur’s first home in Summerland was a tent home. He brought his family to the community in 1904 and they lived in the tent home until Balcomo Lodge was completed in 1906 (Summerland Museum photo)
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HOME SWEET TENT Sisters Christine Nixon and Lizzie Verity spent the winter of 1909 living in a tent house. (Summerland Museum photo)
John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
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